Eaux Vives: Dance Project Raises Awareness on Water Issues in Lyon

An artistic initiative by young dancers from CNSMD Lyon, recipients of the Bourse Jeunes Lyon 2030, explores the water cycle.

Generic image of a dancer in motion against an abstract background evoking water and the environment.
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Generic image of a dancer in motion against an abstract background evoking water and the environment.

Led by dancers Ellena Henry-Ostermann and Hugo Witczak, the Eaux Vives project uses dance and documentary to explore crucial issues related to fresh water, from its origins to its natural cycle disrupted by humans.

The Eaux Vives project, initiated by Ellena Henry-Ostermann and Hugo Witczak, young dancers from CNSMD Lyon and recipients of the Bourse Jeunes Lyon 2030, aims to raise public awareness about water challenges. This grant supports young people committed to ecological and social transition in Lyon.
The project includes several components: a documentary highlighting local stakeholders (plants, scientists, farmers) through testimonials interspersed with danced capsules; mediation workshops to address the documentary's themes; and the creation of a performance.
« Fresh water is a central climate issue. Source of all terrestrial life, it occupies an omnipresent place in our daily lives. Yet its natural cycle is transformed by human activities », explain Ellena Henry-Ostermann and Hugo Witczak, emphasizing the fascination with water's duality, both necessary and dangerous, which fuels their artistic exploration.
The project's schedule spans several months, including creation residencies, presentations at university and institutional events such as the Assises de la transition at the University of Lyon, interventions at the Préfecture du Rhône, and screenings as part of the Festival Empreintes du CNSMD Lyon.
The project team includes Hugo Bourbier for choreography, Louis Delisle and Ji Young Lee for sound composition, and Emma Willery for communication. The project benefits from the support of cultural partners such as Cie Yma La Chapelle, La Ferme du Vinatier, the Centre national de la danse (CND), and academic partners like H2O’Lyon and the Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3.
Based on information from the official source: CNSMD de Lyon (06/10/2026)